It is known practice to insert electrically conductive wires into the tread of a tire in a direction radial to an axis of the tire. The wires may have a mechanical function by improving certain contacts of the tire with the outside environment. They also make it possible to make the material into which they are inserted anisotropic. They may also ensure the electrostatic discharge of the tire, notably when the latter is silica-enriched.
It is found that the needles used to pierce the tire and insert the wire therein wear rapidly.